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Texas A&M – Central Texas
Department of Psychology & Counseling
MHCK 554.115: Group Procedures for Counselors
Summer 2015
Mondays/Wednesdays 1:30 PM – 4:20 PM
Professor:
Phone:
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Brian Wortham, Ed.D
Office: (254) 519-5431
wortham@tamuct.edu
By Appointment
Course Description
An introduction to group therapy and group procedures with special emphasis on the development of group
counseling skills with children adolescents, adults, and special populations. Supervised experience in group
memberships is included. Covers related ethical concerns. Prerequisite: CPSY 550 and CPSY 557 or approval of
School Director.
Objectives
Knowledge Outcomes
1. Understand principles of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories,
group members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work.
2. Understand group leadership or facilitation styles and approaches, including characteristics of various types of
group leaders and leadership styles.
3. Understand theories of group counseling, including commonalities, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent
research and literature.
4. Be knowledgeable of group counseling methods, including group counselor orientations and
behaviors, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of
evaluation of effectiveness.
Skill Objectives
1. Demonstrate basic group counseling techniques and effective group supervision and leadership.
2. Evaluate and choose appropriate group counseling interventions based on the context of the setting, individuals,
purpose, and goals of the group.
Required Texts
Jacobs, E., Masson, R., Harvill, R., & Schimmel, C. (2012). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (7th ed.).
Belmont: Thomson- Brooks/Cole
Recommended Texts:
American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6 th
ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. (Note: All previous editions are obsolete.)
Corey, G. (2006). Theory and practice of group counseling (6th ed.). Monterey CA: Brooke/Cole.
Gladding, S. (2012). Group work: A counseling specialty (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.
Yalom, I. (2005). Theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5 th ed.). New York: Basic Books
Philosophy of Teaching
My current teaching philosophy is that the best way to maximize learning is to create a collaborative learning
environment in which we all co-create a meaningful conversation about (a) what we read and study for this class, (b)
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our personal experiences related to those topics, and (c) our shared experience of participating in this class as a
group. I follow a participant/manager model of teaching and counseling in which I am a learner in the class at the
same time that I am a facilitator of the class conversation. If everything goes as I hope, this class will consist mainly
of group-related activities that we experience and process together. My goal as a participant is to learn as much or
more than any other class member.
Expectations
Attendance is expected for all classes and all groups. Because of the experiential nature of this class, missing even a
small part of a class leaves a large void in your learning and understanding of group theory and process. Missing
more than 30 minutes of a class will result in an absence. If you need to miss part of a class, that is not a problem,
but you will need to do some type of additional assignment to make up for the time not spent in class. The most
common way to make up for a missed class is to read one of the Yalom paperbacks.
Active participation in this class is essential. Come to class prepared to participate. Participation at an “A” level
means initiating spontaneous comments or question during class session. If you do not participate in class activities,
I reserve the right to drop your final grade by 10%.
An open, curious, and honest attitude toward learning from others and about yourself will facilitate intellectual
growth and development for everyone, including me. This is not a time to be shy. Conversely, it’s also not a forum
to dominate and monopolize. Exercising social awareness is essential. While this class will be held in an educational
setting, I will be treating class time as an experiential learning process. Due to this, if I see any “goodness-of-fit”
concerns, I may discuss these with you outside of class. These conversations will have no impact on your grade for
this class.
Philosophy of Grading
My current philosophy of grading for this class is to use Mastery Learning. Many requirements for this course are
“binary” in nature: “credit” for satisfactory completion or “no credit” for unsatisfactory or non-completion. If you
receive “no credit” on an assignment, your final grade will be lowered by 10%. The Mid-Term Project and Final
Project receive letter grades. After receiving feedback on an assignment you’ve turned in, you are encouraged to
continue to revise and resubmit until you’ve reached a level of satisfaction regarding the quality of your final
product.
Grade Distribution
Participation:
Mid-Term:
Final:
Journals:
one free absence, -10 points per missed class after (role play dates are mandatory)
40 points
39 points (30 points group grade, 9 points individual grade)
21 points (3 points per journal)
Total:
100 points
Extra Credit Option
It is possible for you to earn one extra credit opportunity (One absence or 5 points) in this class in one of
the following ways. Attend a group-counseling-related workshop for at least one-half day. OR observe at
least two sessions of an existing counseling group that you are not a member of. OR read an additional
book by Irving Yalom (e.g., The Schopenhauer Cure, Love’s Executioner, When Nietzsche Wept, Lying on
the Couch, etc.). Write an informal processing paper summarizing your reaction to one of the above
experience.
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Mid-Term Project: Grant Proposal - Due June 24
You will be in charge of creating your own group. Feel free to choose a topic and population you are interested in.
Treat this assignment as if you were writing a grant proposal. The following items will be needed to include in the
proposal packet. After you complete the proposal, you will be required to lead a part of this group in class. Your
fellow students will role play during this group session. This role play is a “credit” or “no credit” assignment.
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Title of the group or workshop.
Type of group or workshop being proposed.
Population for whom the group is most appropriate.
Develop a rationale that documents the need for the group you are proposing and why it is important you
work with this population in a group format. It is important to be informed about the population for whom
the group is relevant. Thus, outside reading about the population’s specific attributes and counseling needs
will be necessary. Consider this section to be your argument for receiving the grant. You will need to state
what others have theorized, proposed, or discovered about group work with your particular population.
When you apply for grants, you are competing with numerous other agencies/schools. You need to sell why
your group should receive the money, so this section should start with the brief literature review about your
population and the need(s) they have. You then should connect how your group will meet that need. You
should cite at least six sources specific to this topic. The six sources may include an interview with
someone considered to be an “expert” on your group topic. This section must be in APA style.
Describe any potential risks for the participants or leader(s).
Marketing strategy: How will members be recruited for the group? What will be the criteria for inclusion
and exclusion?
Pre-group screening and preparation criteria and processes. How, when, and by whom will these processes
be enacted.
Operationalized goals: What skills will members learn or what changes will they make? What will be
“different” for members as a result of successful participation in this group? Each goal should be
measurable and assessed in your evaluation plan.
How will the group experience and the specific group goals be evaluated? Include any evaluation forms
you might use.
Logistics: What will the ideal size of the group be, length of time for each session, number of sessions,
location, and materials needed?
Group leader characteristics: Is this group more appropriate to be led by one facilitator or by cofacilitators? What qualifications (experience, degrees, personal characteristics) are necessary to be a
facilitator of this group? What type of leader will be the most effective?
How will the group leader(s) receive supervision?
Group curriculum: Plan a six hour segment of this group or workshop. Think of this as a “lesson plan” for
your group counseling or group workshop sessions. Include a description of the objectives of each unit, the
major content to be covered, the specific activities that will take place with time allotments, and so forth.
Attach any handouts or homework assignments. Be specific and practical and design it in a way that is
useful for you.
Provide a Professional Disclosure Statement
References listed in accordance with the APA Style Manual (6th ed.).
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Final Project: Due July 22
The purpose of this project is to measure and apply your learning of characteristics of group process and
theory. This project provides you an opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned in this class up to
this point.
All projects should be typed double space, using a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt.), using
APA style.
This project is designed to encourage creativity and learning through the process of taking it.
Work together in groups of 2-4 to complete this project. You may find a parallel process of experiencing
group dynamics in your own group while you work on the project.
Your responses should be based on some type of real or fictional group process that you observe
specifically for this project, although you may have already observed the particular group process at some
previous time. That is, you are likely to perform better if you observe it again prior to or while completing
this project.
Your grade will be based on the extent to which you are able to integrate material learned in this class into
your written understanding of a group process observed outside of this class. Grades will be based on the
breadth and depth of your examples and synthesis of your observations with group theory.
The project should be in essay form, using headings and sub-headings. Include all individual authors'
written reflections on what it was like to complete this project in the final section, prior to the references.
Avoid "storytelling" and rehashing the plot. Assume that we've already observed this group and write it
from that perspective, even if we haven't seen the group.
Outline for Final
I. BRIEF OVERVIEW
A.
Give a brief description of the group that you observed. Including:
1.
Name of the group
2.
Medium utilized to observe the group
3.
Length of (a) the group’s existence as a group and (b) the particular group
experience you observed.
B.
Summarize
1.
Events that took place during your observation of the group
2.
How you chose this group process for observation
II. GROUP COMPOSITION & DIVERSITY
A.
Group type
1.
What type of group was this?
2.
Would this group fit into any of the types of groups described by ASGW, Yalom,
or anyone else? If not, what type of group do they most closely resemble?
Give evidence to support your group type classification.
B.
Group membership
1.
Who were the members of this group?
2.
How were members selected and rejected? This may have been done formally or
informally. If done informally, what seem to be the unifying characteristics of
this group? What would be possible criteria for rejecting someone?
3.
Give examples of group roles members played. Note that the same member may play
different roles at different times during the group. Provide specific observations. You
may wish to consult class handouts, along with your textbooks.
C.
Diversity
1.
How much diversity was there within this group?
2.
Were there any multicultural factors influencing the development of this
group?
3.
What impact, if any, did diversity have on the development of this group?
D.
Group leadership
1.
Who was/were the group leader(s) (if anyone)?
2.
How was this person selected, or why is it that no leader was selected?
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3.
4.
How would you describe the leadership style of the facilitator(s)?
What characteristics of effective or ineffective group leadership skills
were displayed by this or other members?
III. CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
A.
Stages of group development
1.
Describe the stages of group development you observed. Provide supporting evidence for
each stage and explain how you believe the group came to arrive at that stage. If the
group did not change stages during your observation, describe shifts within that stage.
2.
Describe how group members changed with the stages or within a stage.
3.
How was cohesion achieved during the group, or what stopped that from
happening?
4.
Speculate what would be necessary to for the group to move to the next
stage, if the group did not terminate.
B.
Therapeutic Factors
1.
What therapeutic factors were observed taking place within the group at
the various stages?
2.
How did the therapeutic factors work to effect change for individual group
members?
3.
How did the therapeutic factors work to effect change for the group as a
whole?
IV. PERSONAL LEARNING REACTION PAPER (To be completed and handed in by everyone individually)
A.
What was new or different about this observation that you will take with you after handing in this
project? That is, what did you learn from this experience?
B.
How will you use this information in your professional future? If you won’t, feel free to say so
Also consider the possibility of a “negative model,” which is something you now will intentionally
“not do.”
C.
Talk briefly about the process of what it has been like for you to complete this project.
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The Growth Group Experience and Journals
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Students are required to participate in a structured Growth Group experience during the semester. The
purpose of the group is to provide a live example of group leadership and to experientially document the
concepts discussed in class.
The purpose of this experience is to help you learn more about groups as well as help you understand your
own modes of functioning within a group.
This is not a therapy group, although it’s often therapeutic–there is no assumption that anyone’s needs
or desires will change, nor will you be expected to disclose anything about your life inside or outside of the
group.
The purpose of the group is educational, to help you become better prepared to function within groups as
well as lead groups. The goal of the group is to provide support in your development and growth as a
professional counselor. CACREP requires that all students participate in the process of experiential growth
during their education. This serves as one possible experience. Additionally, if you are anything like other
students who have taken this course, you will learn about your communication style and some of the roles
you normally take on in groups.
Students typically rate participation in the small group experience as one of the best components of the
class. There is some risk of emotional discomfort in self-disclosing your experiencing of the here and now
interaction, but the potential for personal and professional growth is far greater. If you are going to miss
any portion of a group session, please contact me in advance.
Small group journals - Quality of content counts; length does not. Below you will find some possible
topics. Journals will be due no later than midnight the Saturday after the experiential group. Late
journals will not be accepted. You should email your journals to your group leader, not me. While they do
not have to be in APA style, they must be submitted in as a Word document. Any journals sent as an email
will not be given credit. Your group leader and I may go over them together during supervision sessions.
Group Structure and Dynamics Group Structure and Dynamics
Pre-screening, norms and expectations
Roles in the group: Who took what roles? What was the level of motivation of members?
Group cohesion
Trust and safety in the group
Communication in the group; how did it occur; patterns?
Conflict in the group: How was it handled?
Stage Development
What stages did your group experience? Support you answer.
What did the leader do to move the group?
Group Leadership
Discuss the leadership style of your leaders.
What atmosphere did they establish? How did the group respond?
What pressures were put on the leaders and how did they respond?
Evaluation of your involvement in the group
Discuss your level of trust, commitment, and involvement in the dynamics.
How did the group meet your expectations?
How did your involvement change over time and what key events influenced you?
Something to consider:
If this group were to continue with you as its leader, what would you wish to accomplish?
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Course Outline
Date
Topic
Monday, June 1
Wednesday, June 3
Syllabus/Introductions
Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors
Beginning a Group
Types of Groups
Group Leadership
Growth Group
Monday, June 8
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, June 15
Readings/Assignments
Handout, Ch. 1, PP. 40-49
Ch. 3 & 4
Ch. 5, 12, 15, & 18
Ch. 6-11
PP. 29-39
Wednesday, June 17
Group Interventions
Group Stages
Growth Group
Monday, June 22
Wednesday, June 24
Difficult Clients
Growth Group
Ch. 16
Mid-term
Monday, June 29
Catch up Day
Wednesday, July 1
Monday, July 6
Wednesday, July 8
Growth Group
Role Play Groups
Growth Group
Monday, July 13
Role Play Groups
Wednesday, July 15
Growth Group
Monday, July 20
Role Play Groups
Wednesday, July 22
Growth Group
Final
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UNILERT
Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University – Central Texas
UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central Texas the ability to
communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via email and text message. By enrolling in
UNILERT, university officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your location. Please
enroll today at TAMUCT.org/UNILERT
Drop Policy
If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office and ask for the necessary
paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the student. The record’s office will
provide a deadline for which the form must be returned, completed and signed. Return the signed form to the records
office, wait 24 hours, go into Duck Trax and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. If you are still enrolled,
FOLLOW-UP with the records office immediately. You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid
penalty for absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in the
course.
Academic Integrity
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly
conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonestly are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes,
but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of
resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonestly.
More information can be found at www.tamuct.org/studentconduct.
Disability Support Services
If you have or believe you have a disability, may wish to self-identify. You can do so by providing documentation to
the Academic Support Programs Coordinator. Students are encouraged to seek information about accommodations
to help assure success in this class. Please contact Ryan Thompson at (254) 519-5796 or Main Building Room 114.
Additional information can be found at www.TAMUCT.org/StudentAffairs.
Smarthinking
Online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing
support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, General and Organic Chemistry, Physics, Biology,
Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology, Accounting, Economics, Introductory Finance, Spanish, and
Statistics.
Access: Students will have access after 5:00pm on the 4th class day. Students may gain access by going to
www.smarthinking.com and entering in their University Student ID as their username and Birthday (mmddyyyy) as
their password. Once you log-in, you have the option to change your log-in information. If you have difficulties
contact Student Affairs at 254-519-572110.
Library Services
INFORMATION LITERACY focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and work in an
information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development of critical reasoning, ethical use
of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques. Help may include, yet is not limited to:
exploration of information resources such as library collections and services, identification of subject databases and
scholarly journals, and execution of effective search strategies.